Standing in line on zigzag line

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Thu 27 Jan 2011 16:23
Standing in line on zigzag line - Dyna

Hi,

I got a parking ticket for standing in line for a parking spot immediately a head of white zigzag line. It's heavy traffic, I'm standing behind the car in the parking zone, while it is blinking to get out. When the traffic clears the parked car takes off and I drive in to the spot. During the whole period of standing which is about 1min the engine is running, full lights are on, I have my foot on the brake, and the engine is running and nobody leave the car.

Question is if this qualifies under point 240 "You MUST NOT stop or park on the area marked by the zig-zag lines" My view is that I'm in traffic just as for example standing in a car queue for red light in front of a pedestrian crossing. They see it as I have stopped.

I just want an honest answer if I did wrong or not. If I did then I will do better in the future and I learned something today.

Sincerely Dyna

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Thu 27 Jan 2011 16:50
Standing in line on zigzag line - ablandy

so you pulled over, out of the main line of traffic (so the traffic behind you could still pass) and stopped on the zig zags waiting for the other car to pull out?

If so, then yes, you stopped and can get fined. Although i thought it was points and a fine? In your post you seem to have avoided using the word stop and opted for standing, so I think you know you were in the wrong having looked back at it.

Zig zags are there to ensure maximum visibility of that area for quite valid safety reasons.

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Thu 27 Jan 2011 18:37
Standing in line on zigzag line - Dyna

Hi

Thanks for answering. Nope I didn't know I was wrong I thought standing in wait for a car park would not be seen as stopping. As when you stop to let people on or off. I can see that it's wrong but then everyone standing in the middle of a street wait to pull in to a car park. I'm pretty sure you are not allowed to double park/stop either so to say. I think a traffic officer would probably use common sense when he/she see those situations. This was CCTV parking ticket not a traffic fine.

The situation is a bit more complicated than pulling away from traffic. It's basically a dual lane one way street. The goes to one lane and during this merge there is zig zag, however just before the merge there is this little parking spot. So its normal dual lane, dual lane with zigzag, dual lane one little car park spot, single lane. It's the right lane merging to the left lane. I come down the road on the right side and stand behind the car that is about to leave. Since the street is busy she doesn't take off immediately as said it takes about 1min.

Anyways lets see if someone else has a different view. I clearly will never wait for a parking spot in the street anymore unless it's in a parking garage or parking lot...

Sincerely Dyna

Edited by Dyna on 27/01/2011 at 18:39

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